SSL Preview: American League East


by Jonathan Adelman (Shrikes)




The American League East is perhaps the deepest of the league's divisions; all of the teams have some sort of chance, and four of the five should probably be considered "good bets" to challenge for a playoff spot or two. The balanced schedule is in its final season, and these teams probably benefit quite a bit from the current system. Next year is next year, however - and this year gives us lots of playoff possibilities to look at.




Team: Black River Blast
Owner: John Cebelak

Overview: He may be only 14, but comparing the Blast to the Mothmen shows that Cebelak the Younger has the better team this year. John's club is one of the few in the SSL with both the talent to make a playoff run this year, and the youth to remain competitive for many years to come.

Batting: Johnny Damon is one of the best table-setters in the league, and Edgardo Alfonzo may the best overall second baseman in baseball, but the rest of this bunch is young and developing. Deivi Cruz, Jacque Jones, Aubrey Huff, Michael Barrett - these guys should eventually provide the nucleus for a winner, but they range from slightly above-average to mediocre at this point. Some interesting platoons should help many of these guys, as they are put in situations tailored for their success. In all, we've got a very nice, well-oiled machine here - nothing Ruthian, but plenty to cause problems for opposing pitchers.

Pitching: It's very underrated, folks. Brian Bohanon and Pedro Astacio may look like an average 1-2 punch, but they have the ability to dominate - ah, the perils of pitching at Coors. Holt, Rose, and Jarvis are all decent, and the bullpen is solid, with big boy Byung-Hyun Kim providing as much excitement as any reliever out there. Again, lots of players should end up having meaningful roles this year, which may or may not be a good thing. Overall, these guys may not look like much on paper, but they'll do fine.

Intangibles: Average defense, some speed - like most of the teams out there. The two secret weapons that the Blast employ are 1) lots of good platoons, and 2) the Coors Effect. Nowhere else in the league is this phenomenon as pronounced - and the Blast are one of those teams that could finish anywhere in the division, depending on how park factors end up translating.

Outlook: Wilcard hopefuls, with a shot at the division if some of the other teams underachieve. In three years all of the key parts will still be out there, so this could be only the beginning. All in all, it should be an exciting team, although whether Black River ends up as contenders or spoilers remains to be seen.




Team: Chesapeake Crabs
Owner: Lee Van Koten

Overview: Perhaps no baseball advice is recited as often as the old "pitching and defense" mantra, and few teams exemplify that combination like the Crabs do. Especially that defense part. Throw in a big stick or two, some nice team speed, and solid pitching, and we could be looking at a playoff contender.

Batting: Troy Glaus is monstrous, but there's not much else that really puts a scare into the opposing staff. Trot Nixon, Mike Cameron, Brad Fullmer - all solid, and all still improving. The rest is more patchwork than talent, although several of these guys contribute in ways other than with their bats. It's a below-average offense, no way around it, but it incredibly may be enough for a playoff push.

Pitching: Hey, not bad! Livan Hernandez is a workhorse who also happens to get people out in bunches; Mak Suzuki, Albie Lopez, and Jose Mercedes are all good enough to start for any team in the league. Steve Parris is pretty good for a #5, and the bullpen is filled with no-names who can get outs. The defense makes this bunch look even better than they are.

Intangibles: Watch the kids play - and yes, they really are kids. They run, they play some of the league's best defense, and they pitch. Every once in a while they even hit, although the regulars make the bench look pretty bad. A good word for Chesapeake is "electric" - they won't be in many 12-3 clunkers, but they'll keep their fans coming to the ballpark.

Outlook: Like the Blast, they've got a good shot at the playoffs if everything breaks right. Also like the Blast, they have more youth than veteran presence, so we should see more of the same for the next few years. In fact, if there's any team in the division with more variability than the Blast, it's this one. First place, last - anyone's guess.




Team: Lakewood Thunder
Owner: Todd Harshman

Overview: Lakewood probably has the most talented group of youngsters in the division, but they also have the least likelihood of a playoff appearance this year. The bats are more than ready right now, but that pitching needs work.

Batting: Richard Hidalgo, Edgar Renteria, and Ben Molina all put up nice offensive numbers for their positions - not bad for some bats up the middle! Throw in the talented Cliff Floyd, mashers Paul Konerko and Dean Palmer, and the oft-injured, oft-on-base Quilvio Veras, and you've got a lineup that can score plenty of runs. Palmer and Veras may already have peaked, but the others have more growing to do, which is a daunting thought.

Pitching: This is where things start to fall apart. Kris Benson is one of the best young hopefuls in the league, and Mark Mulder has the potential to help anchor the staff, but the rest of the starters are average at best. Steve Karsay is good endgame material, but the rest of the bullpen's success is largely dependant on how they are used. The good news is that these guys are mostly young, and have plenty of improvement left in them.

Intangibles: Pretty good defense for a bunch of slow guys, which translates to "average". The bench is nothing to get thrilled about, although it can do its job. Youth is the real key here - lots of very high ceilings on this club, which may mean nothing in a few years, or may herald the onset of a very potent club.

Outlook: The Thunder will roll - at least on offense. It remains to be seen how the kids on the mound hold up, however, and Lakewood's pitching is probably their key for this season. There's plenty of talent on this club, and plenty to be excited about, but the playoffs won't be an option with this division the way it is unless just about everything breaks right.




Team: New Jersey Stallions
Owner: Rollin Shank

Overview: Above-average offense, above-average pitching, and no one area dominating enough to guarantee a playoff berth - say hello to the New Jersey Stallions. Well, that's a bit misleading, as the club has some all-star talent heading both the bats and the arms. A lack of depth lessens their ability to impact games.

Batting: Chipper Jones makes the offense respectable to begin with, and fellow big boppers Geoff Jenkins, Gabe Kapler, and Jim Thome give it an air of danger. The bottom of the order holds these guys back by their coatsleeves - Bergeron, Owens, Blanco, and Febles are all talented young guys who can play defense and/or run like the wind, but they have yet to figure out how to swing a bat with authority. Overall, this group is still going to give pitchers some headaches.

Pitching: Curt Schilling is a wonderful beginning, but the foursome of Mark Redman, Jeff Suppan, Pat Hentgen, and Mark Gardner makes this staff average. A good bullpen really helps, as Scott Strickland heads a group of eight talented throwers.

Intangibles: The bench is a good one, if not spectacular, and the team defense is good to great, depending on where exactly you're looking. The Stallions aren't as young as the other three teams before them, but they may have a slightly better chance of putting it all together this year with a solid team in just about every area.

Outlook: The playoffs beckon, and co-owner George Studbreeder will probably accept nothing less. Perhaps the Stallions have a slight edge over the Blast and Crabs - or perhaps not. This division is simply to close to call.




Team: Winnipeg Goldeyes
Owner: Nghia Nguyen

Overview: If someone HAD to pick a favorite, they'd probably look hard at the Goldyes before choosing. Solid pitching and a menacing offense make the boys from Canada a very dangerous foe, even in the deep AL East.

Batting: This lineup is a good seven deep, with Jim Edmonds leading the way. Oh, he's not alone - Matt Lawton will be on base a lot, as will Chris Stynes; Ryan Klesko, Greg Vaughn, and Andres Galarraga will get plenty of RBI chances. Good lefty-righty balance makes this group even tougher to pitch to.

Pitching: A 1-2 of Kevin Brown and Darryl Kile make things increasingly difficult for the opposition. In fact, the entire staff is decent - Russ Ortiz and Kevin Tapani can take their regular turns with decent results, and the aging magician Jamie Moyer works as a #5. The bullpen has the underrated, talented Keith Foulke to close games out, and there's enough left after that to do the job. It's the Brown/Kile/Foulke show, though, and with this offense, that's fine.

Intangibles: The Goldeyes are old, which means they are under more pressure to win today. The bench is both deep and talented, and the defense has both great and terrible parts to it. All in all, the magic recipe needed to emerge from the East may just yet be found north of the border.

Outlook: Being the favorite in the AL East doesn't mean much; one misstep from the Goldeyes, and they'll be looking on in from the outside, even if the wildcard comes from this division. There's tons of talent here, though; a few of the stars can slump and there are still guys able to carry the team. All in all, a very well-crafted ballclub.





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